Population 11,687 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fergus County
Household size in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.22 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.22 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Fergus County is a place of small households, averaging 2.17 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.28 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.9 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.8 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.9 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.0 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.9, Fergus County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has dropped from 46.9 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Fergus County than nationally: 9.6%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Montana. The single-parent share is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fergus County
Renters in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.2% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Fergus County rent their homes (36.6%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Montana overall (30.8%). Just over half of owners (53.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 8.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Fergus County than nationally: 12.1%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.3 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Fergus County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1959 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $526 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $690 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $700 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $940 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$414 | +$487 | +$606 |
Rent in Fergus County runs $940 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $414 a month from 2006–10, a 79% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fergus County
Bachelor's degrees in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.0% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.8% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fergus County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.8%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.2% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Fergus County: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Montana as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.0 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fergus County
| Period | Fergus County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Fergus County than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Montana. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fergus County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fergus County | 2.17 | 44.9 | 9.6% | 36.6% | 12.1% | 1969 | $940 | 23.8% | 95.2% | 4.2% |
| Judith Basin County | 2.25 | 46.2 | 5.6% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1967 | $497 | 31.1% | 92.9% | 0.1% |
| Petroleum County | 2.02 | 51.6 | 3.2% | 27.1% | 28.9% | 1983 | $800 | 30.8% | 98.9% | 0.0% |
| Meagher County | 2.15 | 53.5 | 0.8% | 24.6% | 36.3% | 1974 | $1,244 | 30.7% | 91.9% | 0.3% |
| Cascade County | 2.37 | 40.5 | 10.3% | 31.5% | 10.3% | 1971 | $1,089 | 28.5% | 94.6% | 3.2% |
| Garfield County | 2.50 | 43.3 | 3.0% | 27.8% | 40.8% | 1978 | $725 | 21.0% | 96.2% | 0.0% |
| Lewis and Clark County | 2.40 | 42.2 | 9.0% | 29.9% | 8.4% | 1984 | $1,193 | 42.7% | 95.0% | 3.3% |
| McCone County | 2.07 | 51.5 | 1.6% | 10.2% | 25.4% | 1964 | $552 | 23.5% | 97.7% | 1.8% |
| Prairie County | 2.24 | 57.8 | 6.6% | 16.1% | 20.7% | 1957 | $627 | 26.9% | 96.5% | 0.9% |
| Missoula County | 2.29 | 38.5 | 8.7% | 41.2% | 8.0% | 1984 | $1,331 | 47.0% | 96.6% | 3.4% |
| Dawson County | 2.39 | 42.5 | 8.8% | 28.1% | 17.8% | 1964 | $801 | 22.0% | 93.7% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Trego County, KS · Catron County, NM · Cavalier County, ND · Chase County, KS · Cheyenne County, CO · Choctaw County, MS · Chouteau County, MT · Cimarron County, OK · Teton County, MT · Texas County, OK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fergus County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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